Emerging from the shadows, Lucia Fairchild Fuller (1870-1924)

Thesis (M.L.S.)--University of Oklahoma, 1998.Includes bibliographical references.The life and work of Lucia Fairchild Fuller represents a pioneering point in the history of female artists at the turn of the century. She was born in 1870 soon after the American Renaissance, its "Gilded Age," and died in 1924 shortly after women achieved the right to vote. In 1893, she won a mural commission for the Woman's Building at the Columbia Exposition. Then she turned to the genre of miniature painting and continued to work in that medium for her entire career. Professionally, she became well-known during her lifetime supporting her family through her prolific production of nearly three hundred paintings. In her short lifetime as a successful artist, as a advocate of professional standards in the arts, and as a teacher she contributed to elevated skills and ennobled standards for the genre of miniature painting. In 1899, Lucia was a founding member of the American Society of Miniature Painters. She was active in several women's suffrage groups and professional artist societies and was elected as an Associate Member of the National Academy of Design in 1906. In 1918, when her vision failed and she could no longer paint she turned to writing and contributed to many artist journals. She died in 1924 from complications of pneumonia

African meningitis belt pneumococcal disease epidemiology indicates a need for an effective serotype 1 containing vaccine, including for older children and adults

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine strategies in GAVI-eligible countries are focusing on infant immunization but this strategy may not be optimal in all settings. We aimed to collect all available population based data on pneumococcal meningitis throughout life in the African meningitis belt and then to model overall meningitis risk to help inform vaccine policy.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>After a systematic review of literature published from 1970 through the present, we found robust population-based <it>Streptococcus pneumoniae </it>(Sp) meningitis data across age strata for four African meningitis belt countries that included 35 surveillance years spanning from 1970 to 2005. Using these data we modeled disease risk for a hypothetical cohort of 100,000 persons followed throughout life.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Similar to meningococcal meningitis, laboratory-confirmed pneumococcal meningitis was seasonal, occurring primarily in the dry season. The mean annual Sp meningitis incidence rates were 98, 7.8 to 14, and 5.8 to 12 per 100,000 among persons <1, 1 through 19, and 20 to 99 years of age, respectively, which (in the absence of major epidemics) were higher than meningococcal meningitis incidences for persons less than 1 and over 20 years of age. Mean Sp meningitis case fatality ratios (CFR) among hospitalized patients ranged from 36-66% depending on the age group, with CFR exceeding 60% for all age groups beyond 40 years; depending on the age group, Sp meningitis mortality incidences were 2 to 12-fold greater than those for meningococcal meningitis. The lifetime risks of pneumococcal meningitis disease and death were 0.6% (1 in 170) and 0.3% (1 in 304), respectively. The incidences of these outcomes were highest among children age <1 year. However, the cumulative risk was highest among persons age 5 to 59 years who experienced 59% of pneumococcal meningitis outcomes. After age 5 years and depending on the country, 59-79% of meningitis cases were caused by serotype 1.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>In the African meningitis belt, Sp is as important a cause of meningitis as <it>Neisseria meningitidis</it>, particularly among older children and working age adults. The meningitis belt population needs an effective serotype 1 containing vaccine and policy discussions should consider vaccine use outside of early childhood.</p

Nanoscale studies of membrane dynamics via STED- Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy

Molecular membrane dynamics in living cells are often obscured from the observer because of the limited spatial resolution of conventional far-field optical microscopy. The superior spatial resolution of stimulated emission depletion (STED) nanoscopy provides new insights into the dynamic processes within the plasma membrane. In combination with the high temporal resolution of fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS), we record and characterize the diffusion of membrane constituents within nanoscale observation areas. In the first part of the thesis, we compare STED-FCS data of various fluorescent lipid analogs and proteins in the plasma membrane of living cells. Our results reveal distinct modes of diffusion which can be differentiated according to the chemical structure of the molecules. Phosphoglycerolipids diffuse freely and only weakly interact with other membrane constituents. Sphingolipids exhibit a strong molecular confinement due to the formation of hydrogen bounds within the ceramide backbone or between large polar head groups. Transmembrane proteins corral in compartments built by the cellular cytoskeleton. We implement Monte-Carlo simulations to support and explain our experimental results. In the second part of the thesis, we enhance the experimental STED-FCS setup by the integration of a fast scanning unit. This newly developed concept not only enables us to perform calibration-free measurements of slowly diffusing particles but also visualizes spatial diffusion heterogeneities along the scan trajectory

Identifying Religious and/or Spiritual Perspectives of Adolescents and Young Adults Receiving Blood and Marrow Transplants: A Prospective Qualitative Study

AbstractThe potential benefits (or detriments) of religious beliefs in adolescent and young adults (AYA) are poorly understood. Moreover, the literature gives little guidance to health care teams or to chaplains about assessing and addressing the spiritual needs of AYA receiving hematopoietic stem cell transplants (HSCT). We used an institutional review board–approved, prospective, longitudinal study to explore the use of religion and/or spirituality (R/S) in AYA HSCT recipients and to assess changes in belief during the transplantation experience. We used the qualitative methodology, grounded theory, to gather and analyze data. Twelve AYA recipients were interviewed within 100 days of receiving HSCT and 6 participants were interviewed 1 year after HSCT; the other 6 participants died. Results from the first set of interviews identified 5 major themes: using R/S to address questions of “why me?” and “what will happen to me;” believing God has a reason; using faith practices; and benefitting from spiritual support people. The second set of interviews resulted in 4 major themes: believing God chose me; affirming that my life has a purpose; receiving spiritual encouragement; and experiencing strengthened faith. We learned that AYA patients were utilizing R/S far more than we suspected and that rather than losing faith in the process of HSCT, they reported using R/S to cope with illness and HSCT and to understand their lives as having special purpose. Our data, supported by findings of adult R/S studies, suggest that professionally prepared chaplains should be proactive in asking AYA patients about their understanding and use of faith, and the data can actively help members of the treatment team understand how AYA are using R/S to make meaning, address fear, and inform medical decisions

Surveillance of gastrointestinal disease in France using drug sales data

AbstractDrug sales data have increasingly been used for disease surveillance during recent years. Our objective was to assess the value of drug sales data as an operational early detection tool for gastroenteritis epidemics at national and regional level in France. For the period 2008–2013, we compared temporal trends of drug sales for the treatment of gastroenteritis with trends of cases reported by a Sentinel Network of general practitioners. We benchmarked detection models to select the one with the best sensitivity, false alert proportion and timeliness, and developed a prospective framework to assess the operational performance of the system. Drug sales data allowed the detection of seasonal gastrointestinal epidemics occurring in winter with a distinction between prescribed and non-prescribed drugs. Sales of non-prescribed drugs allowed epidemic detection on average 2.25 weeks earlier than Sentinel data. These results confirm the value of drug sales data for real-time monitoring of gastroenteritis epidemic activity

Nitrogen dioxide radical generated by the myeloperoxidase-hydrogen peroxide-nitrite system promotes lipid peroxidation of low density lipoprotein

AbstractMyeloperoxidase, a heme protein secreted by activated phagocytes, is present and enzymatically active in human atherosclerotic lesions. In the current studies, we explored the possibility that reactive nitrogen species generated by myeloperoxidase promote lipid peroxidation of low density lipoprotein (LDL) – a modification that may render the lipoprotein atherogenic. We found that myeloperoxidase, an H2O2-generating system and nitrite (NO2−) peroxidized LDL lipids. The process required NO2− and each component of the enzymatic system; it was inhibited by catalase, cyanide and ascorbate, a potent scavenger of aqueous phase radicals. LDL peroxidation did not require chloride ion, and it was little affected by the hypochlorous acid scavenger taurine. Collectively, these results suggest that lipid peroxidation is promoted by a nitrogen dioxide radical-like species. These observations indicate that myeloperoxidase, by virtue of its ability to form reactive nitrogen intermediates, may promote lipid peroxidation and atherogenesis

Reward prospect improves inhibitory control in female university students with a history of childhood sexual and physical abuse

Background and objectives: Childhood abuse and neglect increase the risk for psychiatric disorders (e.g., depression and anxiety) during adulthood and have been associated with deficits in cognitive control. The specific mechanisms underlying these cognitive control deficits are still unknown. Methods: This study examined the expectation for reward to improve inhibitory control in young women (ages 18-35 years) with a history of childhood sexual and/or physical abuse (AG, N = 28), childhood emotional and/or physical neglect (NG, N = 30), or unaffected comparison women (HC, N = 40). They completed a previously validated rewarded (color-word) Stroop task and filled out questionnaires on depression, anxiety, and resilience. Results: Surprisingly, a significant group by reward interaction revealed larger performance benefits under reward prospect (relative to no-reward) for the AG group relative to both the NG and HC groups. Limitations: A small sample size limiting generalizability. Conclusions: These results demonstrate sensitivity of abused subjects to reward in modulating cognitive control and might aid in discussing whether using reward schedules during therapeutic interventions could be effective

Knowledge, beliefs and practices regarding prevention of bacterial meningitis in Burkina Faso, 5 years after MenAfriVac mass campaigns.

BACKGROUND: To adapt communications concerning vaccine prevention, we studied knowledge, beliefs and practices around meningitis risk and prevention in a young adult population in Burkina Faso in 2016, 5 years after the MenAfriVac® mass campaign and one year before the vaccine's inclusion in the infant immunization schedule. METHODS: In a representative sample of the population aged 15 to 33 years (N = 220) in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, study nurses administered a standardized paper questionnaire consisting of predominantly open questions, collecting information on meningitis risk factors and prevention, and on exposure to dry air and kitchen fire smoke. We identified themes and analyzed their frequency. We created a meningitis knowledge score (range 0 to 4) based on pre-defined best responses and analyzed the determinants of knowledge score levels ≥2 (basic score) and ≥3 (high score) using multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: Biomedically supported facts and good practices were known by the majority of participants (eg vaccine prevention, 84.5%). Younger women aged 15-20 years had a higher frequency of low scores <2 (17.0%) compared to older women aged 21-33 years (6.3%) and men of both age groups (3.8%). Junior secondary School attendance explained the differences between the two groups of women, the gender gap for the older, but not the young women, and explained score differences among young women. Local understandings and practices for risk and prevention were commonly reported and used (risk from unripe mango consumption and prevention through nasal application of shea nut butter). DISCUSSION: This study shows a gender gap in knowledge of meningitis risk and prevention, largely due to education-level inequalities. Women below 21 years had particularly low levels of knowledge and may need interventions outside schools and perinatal care. Our study suggests a strong adherence to local understandings of and practices around meningitis risk and prevention, which should be taken into account by vaccination promotion